Installation Guide

HOW TO INSTALL DOOR and WINDOW CASING
1. Measure for the head casing. Measure the distance from the inside of the right door jamb to
the inside of the left door jamb. Add twice your reveal to this measurement. For instance, if the
inside-to-inside measurement is 36 inches, and the reveal is 3/16 inch, the total measurement
is 36 + 3/16 x 2 = 36 3/8 inches. This is the distance from the short point to the short point of
the head casing.
2. Cut the head casing. Set the casing in the miter saw, with the thicker (outside) edge against
the saw's fence. Set the saw to cut a 45-degree angle to the left, and make a cut on one end of
the casing. From the short point (the inside edge) of the cut, measure the distance calculated
in Step 1, and make a mark. Now, set the saw for a 45-degree cut to the right, and cut at your
mark.
3. Install the head casing. Center the head casing on the door jamb, and holding the proper
reveal, nail the casing in place. Use three or four #3 or #4 finish nails along the inside edge to
nail the casing to the jamb, and four or five #6 finish nails along the outside edge to nail the
casing to the wall.
4. Measure the length of the side casing. Measure from the top of the head casing to the floor,
this is the overall length of the side casing. If the room is to be carpeted, subtract ½ inch from
your measurement. Measure both sides independently; if the floor or door jamb is out of level,
the two casings will be different lengths.
5. Cut the side casings. For the right casing, set the saw to 45 degrees right, for the left casing,
set the saw to 45 degrees left. Make the miter cut first, then measure from the long point, and
make a 90-degree cut at the end.
6. Install the side casings. Spread a small amount of glue on the mitered end of the casing, and
line up the mitered end with the miter on the head casing. Nail the side casing every 16 inches,
with a #3 or #4 finish nail into the jamb, and a #6 finish nail into the wall. Be careful to keep the
reveal uniform. Finally, if the casing is thick enough, drive a #3 finish nail through the edge of
the side casing into the head casing to lock the miter together.
7. Using a nail set, set the nails 1/8 inch below the surface of the wood.